Under 11 - 3
FJFC U-11 Blue 3.8 (26) d St Marys 1.5 (11) at Alfred Crescent
The Roys returned to the scene of last week's stirring triumph to take on a team they had already played this season, St Marys, on a clear morning that became warmer with every passing moment.
The footy might have lacked a bit of polish but there was plenty of effort and endeavour, and the Roys took early control when Nick B's scouting paid off with a clean mark and straight kick for goal.
But that was as good as it got for a long time. Something happened at Alfred Crescent: the run and dash that the Roys use so well became a bit of a memory. The ball got stuck in tackles and packs. Elia made some strong contests and first Aleks, and then Fraser, found ways through traffic but the ball was trapped in the Roys' forward line without many conversions. Jesse was busy and Nick N was another key target against a tough and determined opposition.
At quarter-time, coach Terry reminded the boys that they needed to be first to the ball. A 10-point lead was handy, but the boys needed to win the ball more often before they could win the game.
After the resumption, St Marys showed heart and inspiration to keep pressing in to their forward line, but without major reward. The pressure was formidable and the Roys' defence held firm. Noah laid some outstanding tackles that forced turnovers and Jaquan calmly repelled the St Marys' forwards with some excellent kicking from deep in defence. Digby displayed his usual athleticism, crashing through packs and flying into contests. But it was Atticus's tough work through the midfield, with support from Lewis on the half-forward line that got the Roys' moving in the latter part of the quarter.
Despite the Roys' apparent strength on the ground, they still only led by eight points at the main change.
Pandemonium broke out behind the changerooms when a couple of passing canines got stuck into an indecent chorus of barking. But it felt like it was just another kind of dog fight to what we were watching on the ground. A clever snap from Atticus was an important goal in the third quarter, but there were not too many clean possessions to be had anywhere around the ground. St Marys' were strong at ground level and the Roys could not dent their opponent's persistence. More points followed, including an unlucky shot from Connor but it was Adam and Martin who helped keep the Roys' tackle count up and prevent St Marys' scoring. A 15-point buffer going in to the final term might not have been enough. As Terry reminded the team, it happened to the Roys week before - it could just as easily happen that St Marys got a run on and finished over the top of them.
For a moment it did indeed look possible when a St Marys' player intercepted a Roys' pass and charged toward goal, unleashed a torp that spun and curved through the air, bounced and went through for his team's first goal.
And everyone wondered if history could repeat itself. Was a comeback imminent?
But Charlie found David with a smart pin-point pass and David steadied the side with a convincing goal that saw the Roys home by 15 points.
ENDS
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